My 17 month old daughter has started rolling her eyes during moments of frustration or when she is annoyed with me or my husband. There’s no way, at 17 months old, that that is intentional, I imagine it’s more instinctual. And, tbh, when I find myself suppressing an eye roll of my own, it feels like I’m fighting a natural urge. Maybe I’m just dramatic?? Lol
In: Biology
Nope, it’s not. It’s learned cultural behavior. South Korean culture has no eye rolling, for example.
So your daughter has learned it from you and your husband, or people around her.
edit: People who say there *is* eye rolling in Korea, you’ve reminded me of the big mantra in linguistics, “Never say never.” But people who cite Wikipedia need to read the article carefully for what constitutes facts vs opinions and read the cited sources carefully, because the sources don’t say what you want them to.
edit: and for Korean people who know of eye rolling, how would you translate it? Because 눈알을 굴리다 describes people looking in different directions, kind of like trying to cheat in exams, not the “ugh” gesture.
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